The Bucks and Their Future

The youngest team in the NBA, with an average age of 24.5, the Milwaukee Bucks have probably the best prospects among NBA teams right now, besides for the Minnesota Timberwolves. The team is among the top 10 in allowed points per game because every player in the starting lineup has a 6’10” wingspan or longer. The Bucks are led by one-time All-Star and small forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is 22 years old. Antetokounmpo had his best season of his career this year, and I think it will translate into next year when he is a major contender for MVP.

This past year, the Bucks went 42-40, mostly because Khris Middleton, a major asset in the Bucks rebuild, was out for the first half of the year with a left hamstring injury that required surgery. When Khris Middleton was out they were 22-29, and they ended the season on a 20-11 run. This run would have been better had Jabari Parker not gotten injured the same night Khris Middleton returned. Parker’s injury included a year-long recovery, meaning he was out for the playoffs and the beginning of the 2017-2018 season.

I can go on for hours about how good the Bucks will be in coming years, but they also have some shortcomings. For example, since their average age is so low, they have no players with playoffs under their belts, except for Jason Terry and a few others. Aside from the few downers, they are an amazing team, and, in my opinion, will be the second best team next year, behind the Cleveland Cavaliers. Hopefully next year Giannis can lead the Bucks to a better record without Jabari Parker and other players hobbled by injuries.

By Sam Glick

Sam Glick lives in Potomac, Maryland, and is a sophomore at Winston Churchill High School. His family davens at Beth Sholom in Potomac, and he is a member of Greater Washington NCSY.